Businesses of all sizes use Microsoft’s SQL Server 2008 database software for reporting, data warehousing and supporting their daily operations. A SQL Server component, SQL Server Integration Services, converts data from many external formats, including comma separated variable files. These files serve as a go-between for spreadsheet programs, Electronic Data Interchange software and other business applications. SSIS eases the task of importing data through its Import and Export Wizard, which performs the complex task with a few mouse clicks.

1. Click the “Start” button and select “All Programs.” From the list of programs, move the mouse pointer to “Microsoft SQL Server 2008” and click on it. The menu selection displays several SQL Server 2008 programs.

2. Select “Import and Export Data” to start the SQL Server import/export wizard. Click the “Next” button to advance to the “Choose a Data Source” screen.

3. Pull down the list of data sources and select “Flat File Source.” On the same page, click the “Browse” button and locate and select the comma separated file to import.

4. Click “Columns” in the list on the vertical column on the left side of the screen. Next to “Row delimiter:” select “{CR}{LF}” from the pull-down list of options. Next to “Column delimiter:” select “Comma {,}” from the pull-down list. The SSIS Import / Export wizard displays a preview the first few records in an area directly under these settings.

5. Click the “Next” button to advance the wizard to the “Choose a Destination” screen.

6. Select the “SQL Server Native Client” option from the pull-down list next to “Destination:.” Select the database server name from the pull-down list next to “Server name:.”

7. Select the database into which you want to import your comma separated file from the “Database:” option. Click the “Next” button to open the “Select Source Tables and Views” screen.

8. Note the database table name under the heading “Destination.” This is a new table SQL Server creates to hold your CSV data. If you want to use another table, click the table icon to the immediate left of the name and change the table name.

9. Click the “Next” button to open the “Save and Run Package” screen. Click the “Run immediately” check box.

10. Click the “Next” button until you see the “Complete the Wizard” screen then click “Finish.” The wizard imports the CSV data from the file you selected into a newly created table in the database.

About the Author

Chicago native John Papiewski has a physics degree and has been writing since 1991. He has contributed to "Foresight Update," a nanotechnology newsletter from the Foresight Institute. He also contributed to the book, "Nanotechnology: Molecular Speculations on Global Abundance."